Florida Studio Theatre Ends 2011 With 25,000 Subscribers

Florida Studio Theatre (FST) broke box office records this week and closes the year with an unprecedented 11,000 subscriptions to its Mainstage season and became the largest subscribed regional theatre in the southeast. Its total base of Mainstage, Winter, Summer and Cabaret subscribers will now exceed 25,000 and place the theatre alongside some of the country’s top subscriber-based regional theatres in America. The achievements are milestones, but even more impressive for two important factors: the other top theatres are located in major US cities with populations many times larger than Sarasota and have much larger annual operating budgets; and the current performing arts mantra is subscribers and subscriptions are bygone elements of doing business. Artistic excellence is an essential constant in a successful business formula and FST has had a history of producing acclaimed productions including its 2011-12 season opener, “Next to Normal,” which garnered some of the theatre’s highest critical praise in its 31-year history.

The Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles, The Roundabout Theatre Company in New York, The Goodman Theatre in Chicago and the Guthrie in Minneapolis are the only theatres that have a subscription larger than FST according to TCG, Theatre Communications Groups survey of professional American Theatres. Other theatres reporting to TCG and in the top subscriber-based category include: Milwaukee Rep, Steppenwolf in Chicago, The Chicago Shakespeare Company, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, The Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey and the Manhattan Theatre Club.

A comprehensive tally of subscriptions, single tickets, and education programs, Florida Studio Theatre sees more than 160,000 people each year through its six diverse programs.

“FST has grown its subscriber base over the years due to two fundamental reasons: we produce excellent theatre at an affordable price,” says Artistic Director Richard Hopkins. “We continue to grow our audience by producing plays that are affordable and accessible, by producing plays that challenge with as much gusto as they entertain.”

Subscriptions to the Mainstage Season are still available from $39 - $61. This year’s Mainstage season includes the ‘feel-everything’ musical Next to Normal with music by Tom Kitt and book & lyrics by Brian Yorkey; heart-warming and romantic comedy, The Last Romance by Joe DiPietro; Next Fall by Geoffrey Nauffts, a contemporary love story about belief; and, the rolling world premiere of Jericho by Jack Canfora, about how extraordinary events affect the lives of ordinary people.

Single tickets for the Mainstage range from $19-$40. Subscriptions and Single tickets may be purchased from the FST Box Office in person or by calling (941) 366-9000 or online at www.floridstudiotheatre.org. FST is located at 1241 North Palm Avenue, Sarasota

ABOUT FLORIDA Studio Theatre
Known as Sarasota’s Contemporary Theatre, Florida Studio Theatre was founded in 1973 by Jon Spelman. Starting out as a small touring company, FST traveled to places such as migrant camps and prisons. The company eventually settled down into a permanent home, acquiring the former Woman’s Club building – now renamed the Keating Theatre. In the years that followed, Florida Studio Theatre established itself as a major force in American Theatre, presenting Contemporary Theatre in its three theatre venues: the Keating Theatre, the Goldstein Cabaret and its newest space, the Gompertz Theatre.

Even with its growth, Florida Studio Theatre remains firmly committed to making the arts accessible and affordable to a broad-based audience. Under Richard Hopkins, Artistic Director and CEO, FST develops theatre that speaks to our living, evolving, and dynamically changing world. As FST grows and expands, it continues to provide audiences with challenging, contemporary drama and innovative programs.

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